A new partnership will allow UC San Francisco employees to ride Uber’s employee shuttle buses to Mission Bay. 

Uber, which is headquartered in Mission Bay and operates an employee shuttle system that runs throughout the Bay Area, will permit a limited number of UCSF employees to purchase a monthly subscription to ride the Uber shuttles beginning in June. 

The service will be available to UCSF employees commuting to the Mission Bay campus on weekdays. It will stop at several locations across the Bay Area. 

“Given UCSF’s limited parking capacity and our sustainability goals to reduce single occupancy vehicle trips to campus, joining with Uber’s employee commuter shuttle program is a win for both organizations,” said Jon Giacomi, associate vice chancellor, UCSF Campus Life Services. “We are thrilled that our employees can benefit from an existing commuter shuttle program for less than the cost of a parking space.”

The monthly subscription service – available through the UCSF ecommerce marketplace at a flat monthly cost – will include 10 different routes, all with several stops along the way.

Passengers read and look at their phones and laptops while riding on an Uber shuttle bus.
Photo courtesy of Uber

Each route is expected to run commuter shuttles to Mission Bay in the morning, then drive the reverse route in the evening. UCSF employees will be dropped off and picked up at 3rd and 16th streets in San Francisco – just in front of the UCSF Wayne and Gladys Valley Center for Vision and Uber’s Mission Bay headquarters.

UCSF is officially launching the program to employees commuting to Mission Bay beginning on Monday, June 2. Those interested need to purchase a monthly subscription by Wednesday, May 21 to reserve their seat.

The shared employer commuter shuttle model was conceptualized before the COVID-19 pandemic. “There’s been an appetite for it, and it’s nice to be able to make it happen for the UCSF community,” said Vicki Sundstrom, manager, Strategic Planning Unit, Campus Life Services. 

The monthly subscription service will be based on the number of seats available on Uber’s employee shuttles. The program will start with a smaller pool of available seats and scale up, with UCSF and Uber actively managing available seats. 

The shuttles feature Wi-Fi, charging outlets, and climate control, and some also have work surfaces, bathrooms, and bike storage.

“UCSF and Uber are proud to launch a groundbreaking partnership that reimagines employee transportation in the Bay Area,” said Andrew Preusse, an Uber Shuttle lead. “With Uber Shuttle, UCSF staff will now have convenient access to premium shuttle services during the work week. This initiative not only helps alleviate parking constraints in Mission Bay, but also supports a more seamless, sustainable, and comfortable commute experience for UCSF’s workforce.”

White Uber shuttle at the Chase Center
UCSF employees will be dropped off and picked up at 3rd and 16th streets in San Francisco.
Image provided by Vicki Sundstrom

Amanda Aguliar is one such employee who plans to take advantage of the new shuttle service.

The communications specialist in Campus Life Services has been working behind the scenes on the shuttle project for months. She also commutes to Mission Bay from Fremont four days a week – paying for gas, tolls and parking along the way. “This will transform my commute,” Aguilar said. “I will be saving a lot of money. I won’t have to sit in traffic. I can sleep. Who wouldn’t want to ride a luxury bus?”

UCSF employees will be responsible for any costs related to parking at shuttle pick-up locations.

The launch of commuter shuttle service comes just months after UCSF, local and state officials celebrated the announcement of new San Francisco Bay Ferry terminal at Mission Bay, due to begin service in 2027. 

How the Uber program works:

  • UCSF employees who commute to Mission Bay are eligible to participate. 

  • Interested riders will purchase a subscription by the 21st of each month to access the commuter shuttles the following month. 

  • Subscribers use their UCSF email in the Uber app to access the service. 

  • A valid UCSF ID and UCSF email address are required to register. 

  • See UCSF’s FAQs for more information.

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